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Last update - 18:26 30/05/2007 Report accuses Shin Bet, police of severely torturing Palestinian suspects By Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent A harsh report released Wednesday by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel accuses the Shin Bet and police of instances of severe torture of Palestinian security suspects. The report contains the testimonies of nine Palestinians who were arrested by the Israel Defense Forces and Shin between 2004 and 2005, including one that charged police investigators with committing severe sexual abuse. According to A., during questioning a police investigator held his legs in the air, and inserted an object into his rectum. Advertisement "While the investigator inserted the 'object' into my rectum and removed it, he pulled my genitalia, as if he wanted to rip it out," said A. "He told me that he wanted to cut it off and throw it to the dog - this lasted at least 10 minutes. The whole time I yelled out in pain." According to A., the investigator told him "I promised you I was about to give it to you from behind, to screw you." The report states that an examination of A. by an Abu Kabir Forensics Institute doctor revealed signs of sexual abuse on his body. A different prisoner, Louay Ashkar, said he sat during questioning on a chair with a bent backrest, with both hands tied behind the chair and each leg tied to chair leg. "The investigator would push my chest backward until my head reached the floor, and then grabbed my bound hands and pull me to him," said Ashkar. "I lost consciousness because of the pain, especially in my back." According to the report, Ashkar's legs are paralyzed due to the damage his spinal chord suffered. Another prisoner, Mohammed Barjieh, said investigators shook him during questioning. "The investigator grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me for maybe ten minutes," he said. "I felt as if heat waves were spreading throughout my head, and I felt a strong pain in my neck." "Later, he returned me to the backward-leaning position," continued Barjieh. "I did not last long, and then I stood up, and again received a blow to the gut, and fell down again - for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. Then they picked me up and shook me again." One of the complaints alleges forceful use of iron shackles. "The would close the shackles and push on them until the iron cuts into the flesh and you felt as if your hand is being cut off," said Amin Shakirat. He also charged his own screams were taped and played back as a means of psychological pressure. Interrogators used what appeared to be the "good cop, bad cop" method, by letting the director of the facility in with tea-biscuits and cola during a break. Yamen said he was innocent, but after four or five days of interrogation he broke down and confessed, after which he led Israeli soldiers to an alleged weapons cache in Qalqiliya, which to the troops' anger was found empty. The Shin Bet said in a reaction that its methods used were "legal" in accordance with the supreme court ruling. Israel says that, acting on information from arrested militants, in the past six months alone it managed to tracked down 11 explosive belts in the West Bank, of the kind used in deadly suicide bombings in Israeli cities. Article 2 of the 1984 United Nations Convention Against Torture allows "no exceptional circumstances whatsoever," including a state of war or any emergency, as a justification of torture. The convention, to which Israel is a signatory, defines torture as any act that inflicts "severe" pain or suffering on a person for the purpose of obtaining information or a confession. It excludes, however, pain or suffering arising from "lawful sanctions." At the conclusion of its report, the committee called on Israel to fully implement international law regarding treatment of prisoners and detainees. The committee also called for legislation clarifying that safeguards such as "necessity" and "justification," which allow for physical harm to be done to a person in order to save lives, do not apply to torture and abuse. The Shin Bet said in response that "Shin Bet questioning is done in accordance with the law and Supreme Court rulings and under close legal supervision." "Every individual being questioned can file complaints during the period of his questioning to various officials," continued the statement. "Every complaint is examined thoroughly and seriously." "It should be stressed that in the course of the examinations that were carried out, it turned out that some of the complainants did not complain at all or did not make the accusations attributed to them," said the Shin Bet. "It is also important to emphasize that the information gathered during questioning allows [Israel] to thwart and prevent terror attacks and many civilians in Israel owe their lives to these activities. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Slamming Obama McCain uses speech to AIPAC to criticize Obama for willingness to meet U.S. foes. Soldier kidnapping Three Israeli Arabs charged with planning to kidnap, kill soldier.   1.   Hopefully 14:42  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/05/07   2.   This is horrible. NGO must continue to act to eradicate torture. 14:43  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 30/05/07   3.   employees 14:58  |  Richie 30/05/07   4.   This is the Israeli democracy 15:00  |  Sami 30/05/07   5.   realize the sufferin` of our kidnapped soldiers 15:05  |  Joseph E . 30/05/07   6.   So Chris 15:06  |  Barry 30/05/07   7.   #1 Chris Linthwaite - It`s encouraging 15:09  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   8.   #1-2 Chris Linthwaite 15:12  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   9.   SAMI Israeli democracy brings this to light.You people? 15:17  |  PETER SM 30/05/07   10.   "Chris " Yoyne Lintwit , Brits murdered prisoners in Iraq and 15:30  |  Absolute Sweden 30/05/07   11.   #7-8 Ben Jabo 15:34  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/05/07   12.   #3 Richie 15:49  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   13.   Is Zionism worth the cost--in the endless suffering? 15:50  |  Can`t Help Wondering 30/05/07   14.   Shin Bet tactics. 15:53  |  David Nigel Braham 30/05/07   15.   Meshal: IDF won`t deter Hamas attacks on Israel 15:56  |  Joseph E . 30/05/07   16.   Chris you forgot to mention torture in Palestine,so boycot PA too 16:00  |  arthur 30/05/07   17.   #11 Chris Linthwaite 16:00  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   18.   IF ONLY ISRAEL WERE AS DECENT AS.......WHO?????? 16:04  |  Mitch Iginer 30/05/07   19.   Shlomo from Tel-Aviv # 2 16:05  |  Chaval 30/05/07   20.   Chris 16:16  |  Yossi Bloch 30/05/07   21.   Well done, Shin Bet! 16:22  |  Citizen 30/05/07   22.   Biased report 16:29  |  Rootical 30/05/07   23.   Cudos 16:30  |  Rootical 30/05/07   24.   Man`s inhumanity to man 16:31  |  Avrum 30/05/07   25.   "a little torture"???? 16:40  |  T A Sheppard 30/05/07   26.   Shin Bet and Police Standard Practices 16:44  |  Double Click 30/05/07   27.   Morality vs Survival 16:44  |  Nephtaly 30/05/07   28.   torture 16:45  |  Tom 30/05/07   29.   Alleged torture by the Shin Bet 16:48  |  Meir 30/05/07   30.   Well done, Shin Bet 16:53  |  Citizen 30/05/07   31.   I condone torture . 17:11  |  Eynav Benjamin 30/05/07   32.   Re: 31. I condone torture . 17:26  |  Can`t Help Wondering 30/05/07   33.   Let women get the info , women know what torture is , 17:39  |  Joseph E . 30/05/07   34.   Shin Bet work is good for the Jews , Keep it up 17:42  |  Joseph E . 30/05/07   35.   Sami #4 17:43  |  JJ 30/05/07   36.   In times of war there is no "fairness" 17:45  |  Dolores 30/05/07   37.   Can`t Help Wondering 17:54  |  eynav Benjamin 30/05/07   38.   Shame and horror, if true 17:58  |  Maxim 30/05/07   39.   Unverified accusations of torture puts Jewish hostages at risk! 18:03  |  Robert Finkelstein 30/05/07   40.   #5 Joseph E; well, is your post an apology? 18:03  |  ballistic 30/05/07   41.   Torture is forbidden in the Jewish Religion 18:12  |  John Taylor 30/05/07   42.   #41 John Taylor 18:27  |  T A Sheppard 30/05/07   43.   shin bet 18:28  |  ex security oficer 30/05/07   44.   Re: 37 Isn`t Zionism behind this hellish conflict? 18:36  |  Can`t Help Wondering 30/05/07   45.   #41Rabbi John-LEAVING TERRORISTS ALONE IS MORE FORBIDDEN. 18:41  |  Ben 30/05/07   46.   Typical Israeli response 18:50  |  H50 30/05/07   47.   Torture 18:56  |  Jacob 30/05/07   48.   terrorists 19:03  |  Igor D. 30/05/07   49.   Joseph E/good for the jews 19:04  |  Anne 30/05/07   50.   #45 19:14  |  T A Sheppard 30/05/07   51.   Torture is wrong. 19:36  |  Joe 30/05/07   52.   Can`t Help Wondering 19:40  |  Eynav Benjamin 30/05/07   53.   "Torture!"? 19:41  |  Judge 30/05/07   54.   some counterintuitive aspects of torture 19:43  |  Pssd Off American 30/05/07   55.   Was there a sexual abuse!!!!! 19:51  |  Doctor 30/05/07   56.   #43 19:53  |  T A Sheppard 30/05/07   57.   question 19:57  |  rose 30/05/07   58.   Good job 20:05  |  Gene 30/05/07   59.   #57 LOL.....You think you`re clever, LOL 20:24  |  T A Sheppard 30/05/07   60.   Is it justifiable to torture a terrorist to save many lives? 20:39  |  Chaim 30/05/07   61.   #11-2 Chris Lithwaite 20:55  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   62.   #25 T.A. Sheppard - just how many times do I have 21:04  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   63.   #51 Joe - USA 21:08  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   64.   #55 Doctor 21:11  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   65.   #56 T.A. Sheppard 21:14  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   66.   #46 H-50 21:19  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   67.   #60 Chaim - I`m certain you want to preserve your namesake 21:50  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   68.   #49 Anne 22:05  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/07   69.   God`s Chosen Sadists 22:14  |  Joe 30/05/07   70.   to#13-yes-ever open a bible? ever wonder 22:17  |  terry 30/05/07   71.   "ticking time bomb" a fantasy 22:28  |  Pssd Off American 30/05/07   72.   Bottem Line- land rights 22:28  |  green d 30/05/07   73.   Arabs don?t torture 22:30  |  eynav Benjamin 30/05/07   74.   #4 SAMI YOU`RE RIGHT, THIS IS ISRAELI DEMOCRACY!! 22:42  |  Jacob 30/05/07   75.   What report says about Palestinian treatment of 22:45  |  Sal 30/05/07   76.   let`s stop pretending 22:46  |  Pssd Off American 30/05/07   77.   Chaim #60 01:15  |  JJ 31/05/07   78.   #69 Joe - LA It`s nothing to do with G-d 03:28  |  * BEN JABO 31/05/07   79.   #4 Sami - have you paid any attention 03:32  |  * BEN JABO 31/05/07   80.   #76 PO`s American 03:36  |  * BEN JABO 31/05/07   81.   #71 P.O.`d American 03:42  |  * BEN JABO 31/05/07   82.   #230 TERRORNUT 05:02  |  * BEN JABO 31/05/07   83.   #65 waterboarding 16:59  |  T A Sheppard 31/05/07   84.   #83 T.A. SHEPPARD 21:21  |  * BEN JABO 31/05/07   85.   Terrorists 01:32  |  Rose 02/06/07   86.   #77 JJ. Save innocent people first. Deal with lying, hypocritical 00:33  |  Chaim 14/04/08   87.   Use of violence 11:00  |  Keops 03/06/08

Read & React MK Avital: Israel should renounce Hagee, his ilk Responses: 11 Shin Bet detains Physicians for Human Rights official Responses: 22 Housing Min.: Olmert backed move to build new homes in E. J'lem Responses: 112 Natalie Portman to pitch Jewish-funded Rwanda youth village Responses: 16 U.S. imam fighting deportation talks of torture by Israel Responses: 40 Egypt tries to thwart EU pact to upgrade Israel trade ties Responses: 60 Rosner's Domain New Guest: Why educate child as Jew when he is not Jewish? McCain's real enemy: Iran or Obama? (WTR) Poll: What political option is better for Israel? The ultimate challenge for Pastor Hagee McCain's Defense Sec(?) isn't sure about recognizing Israel (WTR) More Headlines 11:08 Palestinian sniper moderately wounds IDF soldier in Gaza 10:10 With eye on PM job, Mofaz parlays with Shas to avoid early elections 09:26 Olmert heads to U.S. with focus on defense ties, thwarting Iran 09:45 Housing Minister: Olmert backed decision to build new homes in East Jerusalem 11:08 Settlers rebuild Hebron outpost after IDF razes it for 32nd time 03:52 Physicians for Human Rights official detained by Shin Bet 09:55 Natalie Portman to pitch Jewish-funded youth village in Rwanda 02:39 Egypt tries to thwart Israel's plans in Europe 10:16 Former neo-Nazis from Sweden visit Yad Vashem 08:10 Gal-On bill would jail 'online brothel managers' for 5 years 02:49 In about-face, government may open doors to Falashmura immigration 05:53 Anti-Semitic incidents in Canada hit record high in 2007 Previous Editions Select Day 02 jun 01 jun 30 may 29 may 28 may 27 may 26 may 25 may 23 may 22 may 21 may 20 may

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